Brnsvllyjohn
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- Jul 18, 2014
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Not sure if this is the correct forum but here is how I selected my son's first deer rifle. I wanted a 280 for a variety of reasons. Finding a 280 on the gun rack in a store is tough. I had time since I owned some youth appropriate calibers that he could use. 6mm and 7 mm-08. He was a big kid and he had experience with my 30-06 as well as my 7 mag. I frequented a local gun shop a lot and always checked the used gun rack. There was a custom 30-06 built on a Ruger 77 action that was light as a feather and really cool but it was over $1500. Shilon barrel, Timney trigger and Brown Precision stock. You do the math. Probably over $2000 invested. I knew the owner of the store reasonably well and he commented on the gun whenever I would look at it. 6 months later the gun is still on the rack but the price is dropping. He asked me why I didn't just buy it? It wasn't a 280 and it was too much money for a 12 year olds first gun. The gun was on consignment and the owner wanted it gone. He had it built but didn't like the finished product. It also had a fixed 4 power Leupold. I told the owner the gun obviously wouldn't shoot or else the guy would keep it. He offered to refund my money if the gun did not shoot less than 1 MOA. How could I go wrong? I would have to eat the state fees and taxes if I returned the gun but I would get 90% of my money back. I paid less than $700 for the gun. I took the gun to a private range and scared myself with the first couple of shots since the trigger was set at about 1/2 pound. I then proceeded to shoot a few 3 shot cloverleaf groups with factory ammo at 100 yards. I took the gun back to the store and he set the trigger to 3 pounds. That is still probably the most accurate hunting rifle in the family. I do not think my son has taken a big game animal with any other rifle to this day and he is 40 years old. That is how a 12 year old starts out shooting a 30-06.
The stock has been repainted and the scope was changed to a 3x9 Leopold years ago but it is still the same gun. Best gun deal I ever made and my son has almost no interest in shooting anything else. He does have other rifles now but the 06 is what he carries.
The stock has been repainted and the scope was changed to a 3x9 Leopold years ago but it is still the same gun. Best gun deal I ever made and my son has almost no interest in shooting anything else. He does have other rifles now but the 06 is what he carries.